FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an electrically insulating supporting structure being mechanically loadable in all directions and being capable of metallic bonding to electrically conductive components being electrically separated from one another.
Often such components must nevertheless be held together mechanically, and therefore a large number of electrically insulating supporting structures are known. In general, plastics or ceramic components are used for purposes of electrical insulation
However, problems always occur whenever the electric insulations are at the same time exposed to considerable mechanical strains For instance, ceramic structures can withstand loads but not major tensile forces. Moreover, if tensile forces are to be withstood, ceramic structures must be secured to the electrically conductive components, which again presents problems Although metallized ceramics are known that can be brazed on, for instance, nevertheless once again the tensile strain that can be withstood is only that which the ceramic itself allows.
International Patent Application WO 92/02714, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,711 discloses an electrically heatable honeycomb body with internal support structures, in which individual components or partial regions or areas must be electrically insulated from one another. At the same time, extreme temperature strains and extreme mechanical loads because of thermal expansion also occur.